Volunteer Opportunities

Passport in Time
Passport in Time (PIT) is a volunteer program of the USDA Forest Service. PIT provides opportunities for the public to work with professional archaeologists and historians on national forests and grasslands across the country. Projects include diverse activities such as archaeological excavation, survey, oral history, or historic structure restoration.
The goal of PIT is to preserve the nation's past with the help of the public.  As a PIT volunteer, you will take part in vital environmental and historical research on public lands. Your participation will help us understand the human story in North America and preserve the fragile sites and memories that chronicle that story for our children and grandchildren. We cannot do it without you!
Click here for more information on Passport in Time.

FLNF PIT Projects:
The Finger Lakes National Forest sponsored a Fossenvue Memory Quilt project under PIT.  The quilt was completed in 2008, and is currently on display at the Hector Ranger Station. 

The quilt tells the story about Fossenvue, which was the name of a camp on Caywood Point.  It was a summertime get-away for suffragettes and children of wealthy social reformers.  It was started by women, and was in existence from 1875 to the early 1900’s.  Men and women attended, and both sexes took part in group sports, and discussions about politics, religion, and philosophy, all of which was taboo for women back then.

The memory quilt was created to use as a teaching tool, to be displayed in visitor centers, taken to schools and events, and loaned out to historical societies and museums.  If your organization is interested in borrowing or displaying the quilt, please contact our office at 607-546-4470. 

Click here to view the Fossenvue Memory Quilt brochure that was created to accompany the quilt, and explain the different quilt components.

Cemetery Maintenance
In addition to the many homesteads that once existed on the Backbone Ridge, there are also some cemeteries scattered about the landscape.  Many were located adjacent to family farms and are considered family plots.
If you are interested in helping us maintain some of these cemeteries, please contact Kari Lusk at 607-546-4470.  Groups are welcome, and it is a great opportunity for groups looking for community service work.  Typical duties would include cutting brush and scrubbing headstones.

Backbone Ridge History Group
Would you like to help research some of the original families on the forest? Are you interested in history? This group could use your help. The Forest is currently partnering with them and other local historical societies to document the history of the people, community, and lands in and around the Forest, and to promote the study of this history. For more information, please click onto the Backbone Ridge History Group Page.